Abstract
Food system analysis in arid and semi-arid countries inevitably meets water availability as a major constraining food system driver. Many such countries are net food importers using food subsidy systems, as water resources do not allow national food self-sufficiency. As this leaves countries in a position of dependency on international markets, prices and export bans, it is imperative that every domestic drop of water is used efficiently. In addition, policies can be geared towards ‘water footprints’, where water use efficiency is not just evaluated at the field level but also at the level of trade and import/export. In this paper, Egyptian food systems are described based on production, distribution and consumption statistics, key drivers and food system outcomes, i.e., health, sustainable land and water use, and inclusiveness. This is done for three coarsely defined Egyptian food systems: traditional, transitional and modern. A water footprint analysis then shows that for four MENA countries, differences occur between national green and blue water volumes, and the volumes imported through imported foods. Egypt has by far the largest blue water volume, but on a per capita basis, other countries are even more water limited. Then for Egypt, the approach is applied to the wheat and poultry sectors. They show opportunities but also limitations when it comes to projected increased water and food needs in the future. An intervention strategy is proposed that looks into strategies to get more out of the food system components production, distribution and consumption. On top of that food subsidy policies as well as smart water footprint application may lead to a set of combined policies that may lead to synergies between the three food system outcomes, paving the way to desirable food system transformation pathways.
Highlights
The concept of sustainable food systems is gaining prominence in recent years, aiming to “ensure food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition of future generations are not compromised” (HLPE, 2017)
A generally accepted one is shown in Fig. 1, of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (IFPRI, 2016), made up of the production – distribution – consumption connection, the groups of driving forces that impact on the status quo of the former, and the food system outcomes, grouped in diet and health – sustainability and resilience
Combined production and consumption statistics related to the food system, compiled in Table 1, show that Egypt’s population has been steadily growing by 31 million people between 1997 and 2017, with the expectation of 151 million people in 2050 (FAO, 2021)
Summary
The concept of sustainable food systems is gaining prominence in recent years, aiming to “ensure food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition of future generations are not compromised” (HLPE, 2017). A food system covers the value chains from production through marketing and processing to consumption, driver groups that cause food systems to transform, and outcome groups that may be satisfactory or give reason for concern. Water quantity and quality are considered environmental drivers in the food system approach, of particular relevance in waterscarce areas (Arslan et al, 2020). Water is present in the entire food value chain, from food production to processing and consumption. Irrigated agriculture, accounting for less than 20% of the total cultivated area in the world, accounts for more than 40% of the global food production (FAO, 2018). For millions of farmers worldwide, access to water for irrigation is a thin line between poverty and prosperity (Oweis, 2018)
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